Why LGBTQ Inclusive Sex Education Is So Important, Experts Say

Nearly half of sexually active New York City high school girls could be hooking up with other girls, according to a sample survey in a new study. But before you start planning your L Word watch party to celebrate that more and more people have access to information that allows them to learn more about themselves and their identity, know that girls engaging in same-sex activity were also found to be at higher risk for suicidal ideation, intimate partner violence, substance use, pregnancy and STIs.

The study, published in August in the Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, found that of 4,643 female public school students surveyed, almost half of the sexually active students reported “some same-sex experience.” One in four of these girls can be classified as women seeking women. With only 4.1% of Americans identifying as LGBT in 2016 according to Gallup, these numbers are huge.

Still, the study shows a gap in identity versus behavior: Self-identified heterosexual girls reported having had sexual experiences with other girls and self-identified gay/lesbian students reported engaging in heterosexual experiences as well. Regardless of how girls identify, the study found that girls engaging in same-sex activity are at higher risk for suicidal ideation, substance use, intimate partner violence, pregnancy and STIs. Girls who were “not sure” of their sexual orientation reported “engaging in more high-risk sexual and social behaviors” which may lead to girls questioning their sexuality being “particularly vulnerable.”

Questioning your identity isn’t inherently risky, and doing so safely doesn’t need to be a challenge. “It’s a reality that many young people are sexually active, and it’s important to not stigmatize sexual behavior or the idea that young people are having sex,” Brittany McBride, senior program manager of sexuality education at Advocates for Youth, said in a phone interview. “Sexuality is a normal, natural part of adolescent development,” McBride said.

Studies like this one show that teenagers aren’t abstaining from sex, but the lack of comprehensive information, especially for LGBTQ teens who may lack school or family support, puts LGBTQ teens at higher risk. With a higher rate of being sexually active, — almost twice as many female LGBTQ teens reported being sexually active in comparison to their heterosexual identifying classmates (24.1% of students identifying as heterosexual reported being sexually active, with 52.1% of gay/lesbian identifying students and 49.4% of bisexual students reporting being sexually active) – “Affirming, inclusive, comprehensive, sex ed” is imperative, according to McBride.

To safely explore your sexuality without elevating your physical and mental health risks, learning about sex and sexuality, in school or independently, is the first step to protecting yourself, experts say.

“We’ve made a lot of progress, but unfortunately, sex education is very heteronormative and doesn’t address the needs of LGBTQ young people,” Nicole Cushman, executive director of sexual education organization Answer, said in a phone interview about the risks teenage girls sexually active with other girls are facing.

And while it’s easy to tune out of a lesson on birth control and pregnancy prevention aimed exclusively at heterosexual couples, Cushman stresses that everyone, regardless of identity, needs to learn about these topics. A more inclusive curriculum, which includes positive portrayals of same-sex relationships (in both academic classrooms and health classes), can help create a comprehensive, inclusive sex education that’s informative and helpful to everyone.

“Sexual orientation can be fluid, especially when you’re still a teenager and you’re exploring your identity and potentially experimenting with partners of different genders,” Cushman emphasizes. “There’s this discordance, sometimes, between identity and behavior.” As seen in the study, a cluster of high school girls self-identify as heterosexual but still have had sexual experiences with other girls, meaning they’re in that “particularly vulnerable” category to both mental and physical health issues.

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The stigma of coming out as LGBTQ and the shame surrounding same-sex experimentation and relationships can also have enormous repercussions, like the risks illustrated in the study. New York City-based family therapist Kathryn Smerling, Ph.D., LCSW, said that validating, non-shameful conversations about sexually fluid behavior and sexual identity can be the first step to alleviating the stigma and can reduce the stressors that may lead to attempted suicide or substance abuse.

In a broader sense, discussing the reality of sexuality without sensationalizing it can help lead to resources or a support network to better, and more safely, explore your identity. Identify allies, in both peers and adults, to help initiate these conversations, which can be further informed with a range of sexual education resources: Amaze, which creates inclusive, animated videos to educate young teenagers about sex, Planned Parenthood’s teen-written website Sex Etc can all help supplement a less-than-informative in-school sex ed program. Organizations like Amplify Your Voice partner with teens to help advocate for intentionally inclusive sex ed, better resources and health services. McBride believes this expansion of education is the key to decreasing the risks LGBTQ teens face.

“I believe that if we continue to expand and scale up the comprehensive sex ed that is affirming of young people, and create a safe and supportive environment for young people in society, we can make change.” McBride said.